In the land of eye candy over substance, I couldn't agree more with Rocky Mountain News' Dusty Saunders assesment that Lesley Visser is head and shoulders above all other female reporters in the biz right now. Profile of her career.
The 49-year-old Visser was the first female NFL beat writer, covering the New England Patriots for The Boston Globe in 1976, two years after joining the sports staff following graduation from Boston College."I've been around long enough to know two guys named Jim Nantz (Jim Nance)," Visser said on the phone from her New York office. Jim Nantz is the high-profile CBS broadcaster; Jim Nance was a star running back for the Patriots.
Beginning her 30th year a sports reporter, the outgoing Visser is listed in the CBS media guide as "a pioneer " among female sports broadcasters.
And while she laughs at the term ("Aren't pioneers supposed to be old-looking and grisly?"), Visser takes pride in her longevity and accomplishments.
In addition to covering NFL and college football as a reporter, Visser has been involved in Final Four tournaments, NBA championships, the World Series, U.S. Open tennis, Olympic skating and the Triple Crown horse races. Everything seemingly except the national tiddlywinks championships.
And Visser will have her own Triple Crown next year, covering the Super Bowl and the Final Four for CBS, then moving over to NBC for a Summer Olympics assignment in Athens, Greece. CBS has agreed to loan her to the rival network.
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